Your immersive land and sea journey begins in northern Italy, where Milan’s cathedral, galleries and design heritage, the villa-dotted shores of Lake Como, Turin’s Savoy palaces and Egyptian collections, and Bologna’s markets, prosciutto traditions and nearby Ferrari museum build a detailed portrait of the country’s cultural and culinary depth, before Rome’s forums, churches and piazzas provide a fitting close to this first chapter. From Civitavecchia, your attention shifts to the coast as you embark the ultra-luxury Scenic Ikon, and sail to Livorno, gateway to Florence, Pisa and Tuscany, and onwards to Portovenere, part of a World Heritage-listed stretch of Ligurian shoreline shared with Cinque Terre and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. The route then follows the French and Catalan coasts in sequence - Monte Carlo, Nice, Saint-Tropez, Sanary-sur-Mer, Cassis, Collioure and L’Escala - where marinas, promenades and smaller harbours sit alongside older village streets and headland views, before Barcelona gathers Catalan culture, architecture and city life into a final, urban finale to this combined Italian and Mediterranean escape.